Dish Network to unveil streaming video service Friday

Shawn Knight

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Dish Network has invited media to an event called “A Stream Come True” in San Francisco on Friday where the company is expected to announce pricing and other details for a streaming video service. The new service will use technology acquired from their recent purchase of Blockbuster earlier this year.

Dish purchased the former video rental king for $228 million in cash (after adjustments) at a bankruptcy auction in April 2011. Blockbuster was once the world's largest video chain with a market cap of more than $5 billion at its peak in 2002. It started to fall apart after pressure from mail-order and digital competitors such as Netflix.

A Dish streaming service couldn’t come at a better time as competitor Netflix recently announced that they were moving forward with plans to split their business in two, by offering streaming services only at Netflix.com and renaming their DVD-by-mail service to Qwikster.

Netflix caught a lot of flak from unhappy customers a few months ago when the split was first announced. A 60% price hike accompanied the announcement for subscribers of both services, which resulted in nearly 1 million cancellations. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings acknowledged the communication mistake and publically apologized over the weekend.

Earlier this month it was reported that Netflix had lost their contract with Starz and content would be pulled from the streaming platform on February 28, 2012.

Dish could come out smelling like a rose if they are able to undercut the current Netflix streaming price of $7.99. The only concern is that the company has only had five months to amass a streaming catalog, although Dish promises to unveil “the most comprehensive home entertainment package ever.”

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Wow.. what was it yesterday (in the Quikster story linked above) we were talking about Netflix being surpassed in the streaming market by bigger players? I didn't expect it to happen quite this fast.

I expect this is the first of many news stories like this.... "Google rolls out web streaming interface, interacts with Google+, See what your friends are watching!"
 
milwaukeemike said:
Wow.. what was it yesterday (in the Quikster story linked above) we were talking about Netflix being surpassed in the streaming market by bigger players? I didn't expect it to happen quite this fast.

I expect this is the first of many news stories like this.... "Google rolls out web streaming interface, interacts with Google+, See what your friends are watching!"

i like everything except for the part where you can view what your friends are watching. to me Netflix tried to do that few years ago and created a huge back lash. i am strongly against public display of viewing habits. can you imagine your employer finding out what you like to watch on the weekend? and i am not just talking about rated R stuff... i am talking about political interests too. back when Netflix tried it. the wife and i watched a, lets just say something we like to keep private, and boom.. a day later.. my friend called me and started talking about THAT movie i watched. it's a terrible idea.

having said the above. i think this move by DISH is the perfect strategic move in a perfect storm. i strongly welcome it. right now i still have both DVD rental and streaming service, and if this Dish streaming service can undercut Neflix, i am definitely canceling my streaming service with netflix.
 
I am a long time dish network customer and besides the service interruption when the weather is bad I am quite pleased with their rates and services. However I will be thinking twice before cancelling my netflix streaming service. Netflix for me is still very affordable and I enjoy the service. Not to mention, the fact that I can easily use my account anywhere. Dish network must be prompt and deliver at least these things:

* Similar or lower rates(specially for dish network customers)
* Strong catalog rivaling netflix.
* Multiple device support (PS3, DVDs, Tablets, etc)
* At least up to 6 devices streaming at once.
* Huge improvement in satellite signal somehow to reduce the chance of loosing service due to bad weather.

In my opinion the satellite medium will not work for me. I live in Miami and netflix is exactly what I resort to when my dish is out because of a light rain T_T.
 
Can't complain about more competition. I will wait for their service to mature a little bit before I think about switching from netflix. I already have their streaming service hooked up to like every piece of electronics with an LCD screen in my house.
 
I have had satellite tv for 15 years here in KY. Small rains don't affect the siginal at all. And even when the large storms pass thru it is only out MAYBE five minutes. Don't believe Florida could be that much different.
 
If they manage to be available in Canada, have items netflix doesn't I'll subscribe to both and are reasonable priced I'll just might have to subscribe to both.
 
Hastings still thinks his problem is communications and that his customers just don't understand what he is saying. The only problem with communications is that he is not getting the message from his customers. They think his idea to jack the prices way up and reduce the service he delivers is totally unacceptable. Unless he starts understanding their "communication" he will soon be out on the street and Netflix will be a memory like so many other short lived technology firms.
 
If they could stream it through their satellites that would be cool. Lots of people in rural areas have Dish but no broadband connection.
 
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